Had a love-filled afternoon cooking with my Mom and then sharing this wonderful meal that we were all so grateful to enjoy. Present were my Mom and Dad, Jim (my man), Jen (my sis), Johnny (her husband), August (my bro), Sandra (his wife), AJ (my nephew). We celebrated being together and the spirit of the day. Thank you all for such a wonderful day.

Click the photo to watch a clip of the beef waiting to go in the oven:

Well, I made it....the cooking and eating frenzy of the past 2-3 days is over for now. I reflect on all the food my Nana used to make from the scores of baked goods to the multiple course dinners. As you already know I am half Italian and those are the traditions that I carry forward. As a young girl, I remembered my grandfather bringing home the salt cod and soaking it for what seemed like days, resulting in bacala (baacaaala as they pronounced it). And let me tell you, it was gross. As an adult, I still can't seem to stomach it. So sadly, those memories will only reside with me...although, I think there is a salt cod story to be told. My Nana also made stuffed calamari in "gravy" (code for "tomato sauce" in Italian-American households) and served over spaghetti. Add fried scallops, flounder, shrimp cocktail and I am sure some other fishes. This was the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Now that I am the lucky hostess for my family and friends, I can only take the feast so far, as I think it's important to enjoy what you eat.

Our Menu:

So I decided to make a lobster risotto and fried calamari with a caesar salad to celebrate Christmas Eve. We had 14 people in total - it was simply lovely!!

Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add shallots and cook until tender. Stir in rice and stir until coated with oil about 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until the wine is cooked off and absorbed. Add the broth one ladle at time, stirring constantly until the broth is absorbed. (My Mom's hint: It's time to add more broth when your spoon creates a track in the rice.) Continue adding broth until rice is fluffy, tender and creamy. Next add the parmesan, lemon juice, pepper and thyme. And finally, add the lobster until warm. Enjoy!! This will serve 6-8 people.

When I was a making caramels, struffoli and spiced nuts yesterday and then packaging them prettily for the segment, my thoughts were all over the map..."hope they taste good - but wait - you can't taste things on TV, well then they have to look GOOD - oh, dear, I have to package all these goodies I just made..." And of course it is that anxiety and adrenalin that propels me and prepares me. It's like studying for a final exam - if you are prepared, you'll do OK.

And, so I present you with my most recent TV spot. I had a blast. Thank you Mom. Thank you Jim for assisting me. Couldn't do it without my "wing men!!"

Here are the recipes for the spiced nuts, struffoli and caramels that I am (have) packaging(ed) on TV tomorrow morning December 19th at 8.40 - tune in if you can. I will be posting video tips later along with the segment clip as well. Wish me luck!! Good night for now!!

Struffoli

Growing up in a three generation household with my Italian grandparents was a gift. My Christmas time memories are so vivid. My grandmother set up a round folding table with a green wool skirt with a beautiful green and red embroidered linen topper where she displayed all her Christmas treats. I would sneak in and “steal” a ball off her honey wreaths and pray she wouldn’t notice. I’m sure she knew but she never let on....

3 cups flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Zest of 1/2 orange

Pinch of salt

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla or grappa or limoncella

canola oil for deep frying (about 2 cups)

2 cups honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add eggs and vanilla. Slowly incorporate using your fingers. Gather into a ball and let rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat (to test temperature - toss small piece of dough - when it sizzles vigorously - it’s ready!!) Grab a golf ball sized ball of dough and roll it between your hands so it forms into a rope about 1/3” in diameter. Then cut rope into 1/3” pieces. Fry the balls in batches. Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Once the balls are done, begin making the honey syrup. Heat the honey, sugar and water in a large saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved then turn up the heat until the liquid boils and bubbls. When the foam dies down and the mixture has darkened (all takes about 4 minutes +/-), take off the heat and add the fried balls.

Using a slotted spoon, remove honey balls and arrange on a lightly oiled piece of wax or parchment paper. My grandmother used a glass to form the center of a wreath and put balls all around and then sprinkle with candied fruit or nuts. She brought the struffoli wreaths to all her friends and relatives when they visited them during the holidays - a lovely tradition!!

Spicy Curried Walnuts

These have been in my Mom’s and my stable of winners for years. They make excellent bar treats, great hostess gifts and are fantastic in a salad.

1 lb walnut halves

1/2 cup sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

First you need to blanch walnuts for about a minute in boiling water. Drain and toss well with sugar and oil. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Spread walnuts in a single layer and place in the middle of the oven. Check and turn the walnuts every 7-10 minutes until golden. I find the process is about 25 minutes but be careful - one extra minute can turn your golden nuts black. Remove golden nuts and put in a large bowl. Mix all spices and then toss with the warm nuts. Spread nuts in a single layer to cool. Once cool, store in a sealed container and Enjoy!!

Christmas Caramels

I am inspired this season to be a mad baker and maker of yummy edible gifts. I've got my plan and I will share with you as I prepare each goodie. But for whatever reason, I decided to go off my list when I was paging through December's Country Living Magazine and make Butter and Cream Caramels and yes they are an indulgence extraordinaire. I'll need to go for a good long jog to keep these off my hips...but what are the holidays if not for eating lots of amazing food!! Here's the recipe with my comments and tweaks, of course!!

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

canola oil for greasing

candy thermometer

Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil and brush with canola oil.

In a medium saucepan over high heat cook the sugar without stirring until it begins to melt and boil at which time you can stir slowly with a metal spoon until melted (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and add cream. The sugar will harden almost immediately. Then add in the butter and corn syrup. Attach candy thermometer and return saucepan to stove over low heat, stirring occasionally for around 30 minutes until mixture liquefies. (This is a challenging spot as it seems as though it will never happen and then it just does.) Once that happens, turn the heat up and cook caramel mixture until the thermometer reaches 238 degrees F.

Remove from stove and stir in the vanilla. Then pour into prepared 8 x8 pan. Cool caramel for at least 30 minutes, lift from pan, remove foil and place on an oiled cutting board. Using an oiled knife, cut caramel into 1" squares. (I found it worked best when the caramel had sat for a while on the cutting board and when I ran my knife under hot water and then oiled it - the caramel did not stick to the knife.)

Wrap the individual pieces in 4 x 4 wrappers and then package them in a larger plastic bag with pretty ribbon.

I am inspired this season to be a mad baker and maker of yummy edible gifts. I've got my plan and I will share with you as I prepare each goodie. But for whatever reason, I decided to go off my list when I was paging through December's Country Living Magazine and make Butter and Cream Caramels and yes they are an indulgence extraordinaire. I'll need to go for a good long jog to keep these off my hips...but what are the holidays if not for eating lots of amazing food!! Here's the recipe with my comments and tweaks, of course!!

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

canola oil for greasing

candy thermometer

Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil and brush with canola oil.

In a medium saucepan over high heat cook the sugar without stirring until it begins to melt and boil at which time you can stir slowly with a metal spoon until melted (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and add cream. The sugar will harden almost immediately. Then add in the butter and corn syrup. Attach candy thermometer and return saucepan to stove over low heat, stirring occasionally for around 30 minutes until mixture liquefies. (This is a challenging spot as it seems as though it will never happen and then it just does.) Once that happens, turn the heat up and cook caramel mixture until the thermometer reaches 238 degrees F.

Remove from stove and stir in the vanilla. Then pour into prepared 8 x8 pan. Cool caramel for at least 30 minutes, lift from pan, remove foil and place on an oiled cutting board. Using an oiled knife, cut caramel into 1" squares. (I found it worked best when the caramel had sat for a while on the cutting board and when I ran my knife under hot water and then oiled it - the caramel did not stick to the knife.)

Wrap the individual pieces in 4 x 4 wrappers and then package them in a larger plastic bag with pretty ribbon.

I gave one to Jim to test and he's already addicted as I caught him taking a couple for "dessert."

I have always envied my Mom because she baked whenever she was stressed, worried, or frustrated. And the gorgeous and delicious goodies she produced were and still are phenomenal!! My Mom is a cookbook collector; she reads them as if they were page-turning thrillers. The by-product of such a habit is a stack of recipes that she must "try." And boy does she "try" them - she pretty much produces a picture perfect attempt every time. Some she discards as, "it sounded better than it tastes." And some become part of the recipe war chest. Her arsenal of winners. And lucky for me, I am related to a veritable test kitchen. I can just assume one of her tested recipes and whip it up knowing that it will be a success.

One of these recipes is a Nutella Pound Cake. Exactly, I know what you are thinking - could this really be that good. The answer - it is show stopping delicious!

Mom and I got together on Sunday to bake up some cakes (date nut spice and Nutella cakes) for client and hostess gifts.

Here's the recipe for Nutella Heaven as I have renamed it:

4 eggs at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 stick butter, softened

1 13 ounce jar of Nutella

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Lightly beat eggs with vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer in a large bowl until fluffy. At low-to-medium speed gradually beat in egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in batches, beating at low speed. Spread 1/3 of batter in prepared loaf pan, then spread 1/2 of Nutella on top. Repeat with another 1/3 of batter and the remaining Nutella, topping with the last 1/3 of batter. Lightly swirl Nutella into batter but be careful not to over mix. Bake cake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes. Then remove from pan and let cool for another 2 hours on a wire rack.